What happens when the malware stops?

not too long ago there was a post about wabisabilabi on the authentium blog that was interesting on a couple of different levels...

rjs' primary angle was ethics, and i can't really fault anything he wrote - it sounds dead-on to me, not to mention being very much in line with sentiments i've seen many other av personalities make over the years...

Other than some global catastrophe, the only way that would happen is if all the profit could be taken out of it. Malware would be quite worthless if systems couldn't be installed to. If everyone used live CDs on systems with a bullet-proof BIOS, that would get rid of the majority of it. The problem for most users is how limiting a live CD is. Operating systems aside, users have a limited choice of software packages. If a DVD was used the way a live CD is, that extra space could give users a very large selection of usable apps.

If someone ever put out a live DVD that was easy for the average user to run, plus had a big selection of good software, completely free of adware/spyware, the big money people would go nuts.

The other big problem with CD or DVD operating systems, is data storage. Nowhere for users to store files. This could be solved with a redesign of the computers themselves. The hard drives or equivalent storage media would be for data storage only. Make it impossible for code on the storage media to execute, using the equivalent of a one way firewall for commands. All executable code has to be on the CD or DVD. If the hardware was designed as data storage units that ran only operating systems contained on disks, it would be uninfectable. If the Open Source community managed to launch something like this before big money got their claws into it, it could solve the security and privacy issues, as long as pay software and ad sponsored apps were kept out.
Rick

Well, people would get a faster computer and internet performance without all those security aplications slowing down PC and draining its resources.
Also it would be a life without a fear, people could enjoy clicking on any link, experience all effects like activex, java and javascripts and so much more.

Yes, such a world does exist for some users. Compared to the number of compromised PCs, it's a small percentage, small enough that it doesn't hurt the adware/malware vendors. It would take much a larger percentage of users to make any appreciable difference.

I've been looking at a site that attempts to make a live CD of Win98 and thinking about what it would take to expand that idea to make live disks people would want to use. If the operating system itself is "read only", is well equipped with user friendly apps, and made simple for the average person to use, adware and malware would be worthless against it. Wouldn't have to worry about what the kids might install. No Avs to update. No more patch day. And no particular skill needed on the part of the users.

If the live CD (or DVD) operating system were combined with a writable hard drive for dta storage, such a computer would be just as usable as a conventional one. An application firewall could be made part of the live disk and preconfigured to prevent apps or code from installing or running on the physical hard drive to make such a system usable on present day hardware. If such disks were accompanied by a standard hardware platform, there'd be no driver or compatibility issues. Of course, there's details to work out but I don't see why the basic idea won't work.
Rick

If the live CD (or DVD) operating system were combined with a writable hard drive for dta storage, such a computer would be just as usable as a conventional one. An application firewall could be made part of the live disk and preconfigured to prevent apps or code from installing or running on the physical hard drive to make such a system usable on present day hardware. If such disks were accompanied by a standard hardware platform, there'd be no driver or compatibility issues. Of course, there's details to work out but I don't see why the basic idea won't work.
Rick

Click to expand...

It works.
I've been harping on this concept for some time now - the next step up from being paranoid and pulling the plug, is to use a Live CD/DVD and disconnect the hard drive(s). You can assemble and burn your own Live OS DVD with pretty much whatever apps you need (in Linux, anyway), and use either an internal or external DVD burner to burn whatever data you need to any form of CD or DVD. If by any remote chance some malware manages to get burned onto the media, the 'noid user can either use VirusTotal or take the media to another "normal" workstation and scan it.
The biggest challenge is finding the distro/apps that are compatible with your hardware setup, but these days, it's gotten alot less frustrating. Most Intel chipsets and nVidia graphics (in general - read those OSS forums) work without issue.
With Windows however, you're on your own.